Expansible container



1934- N. OTTINGER ,984,

EXPANS IBLE CONTAINER Filed March 16, 1934 V g 7 INVENTOR A Zzflzazz 0llz'nyez:

In; A RNEY Patented Dec. 11, 1934,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 'EXPANSTBLE CONTAINER Nathan Ottinger, New York, N. Y. Application March 16, 1934, Serial "no. 715,813

7; Claims. (01. 150- 1) This invention relates to expansible containers and more particularly to containers of the bellows type.

It is the principal object and purpose. ofmy invention to dispense with the use 'of' tiefstrings or "other supplemental fastening devices andzprovide a closure means for the container which will automatically accommodate itself tovariations 'in bulk of the contents of'the container.

In a preferred embodimentIiprovide the front wall of the container with an exterior downwardly opening pocket extending across the width thereof. Acover or closure 'fiapextends from the upper edge of the rear wall and is'divided by spaced parallel scoreslinto a plurality of relatively flexing sections. By inserting one or more of these flap sections upwardly into the pocket, depending upon the extent of expansion of the container by its contents, the flap is securely held in position to completely close the open. top of the container body. I

Another object of the invention is to provide convenient means securely attached to the end of the closure flap whereby the flap'sections may be easily withdrawn from the pocket to open the container.

It is also a further object of my invention to provide a container of this character which is strong and durable, simple and inexpensive in construction, and highly serviceable in practical With the above and other objects in' view the i'nventionxconsists in the improved expansible container and in the f orm. construction and relative arrangement of its several parts as will be more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and subsequently incorporated in the 'subjoined claims. 1 I

In the drawing wherein I have disclosed on simple and practical embodiment of the invention, and in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts through the several views,-. t 1

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showingthe container closed.

Fig. 2 is a similar View with the closure flap in open position. i

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is' a fragmentary horizontal sectional Referring indetail to the drawing in the mus wall 5 of the envelope.

trated example, the front wall 5 and the rear wall 6 of the container each preferably consists of a sheet of paper, leather or other material of suitable dimensions. These walls are connected at their bottom and opposite end edges 5 by the bellows folds '7, preferably of paper, leather, linen or other textile material. The 'edges'of these bellows folds are securely attached by any suitable means to the walls 5 and 6.

As herein shown a strip of paper or other 10 flexible material 9 is attached to theinner-surface-of the frontwall 5 along the upper-edge thereof and folded outwardly and downwardly to providethepart 10 thereof cooperating with u The part 10 has a lower edge llturned upwardly upon the inner face of said part to provide a rounded lower edge on the, pocket wall. End

extensions 12 of the part 10 are turned rearwardly upon the front sections of the bellows folds 7 and secured thereto to close the pocket at its oppositeends. If desired, instead of forming this pocket from a separate piece it may be formed from an integral extension of the The. rear wall 6 is extended beyond the open top of the envelope body as at 13 to form the closure flap generally indicated at 15.

This flap is heavily scored along spaced par-- "30 allel longitudinal lines shown at 16 to provide a plurality of narrow relatively flexing sections 17.

Preferably the closure flap 15 is provided with "a pull tab 18. While this tab may be attached to the closureflap in various ways, a strong and longitudinal edge portion 21 of the flap is then 5 turned over upon said extensions and adhesively secured thereto and to the inner face of the flap.

The connection of the tab with the flap is thus strongly reinforced and liability of thetab being torn away or disconnected from the flap is .re-

duced to a minimum.

In the use of my improved container, after the papers or other articles have been placed within the container the flap 15 is folded over the top thereof, such folding being facilitated by the scores 16 which obviate'the formation of unsightly cracks in the surface of the-closure flap. After bending the tab 18 over upon the outer surface of the flap the free end of said flap is folded inwardly and upwardly into the horizontal pocket, the part 10 of which confines the end of the flap closely against the front wall 5 of the container. The free end of the tab 18 protrudes beyond the open side of the pocket on the surface of the wall 5. The score 16 along which the flap is folded upwardly into the pocket is selected in accordance with the degree of expansion of the container and coincides with the lower edge of the part 10 which yieldably grips the flap at said score as seen in Fig. 5 and acts to retain the flap 15 in closely folded position over the open top of the container and-upon the surface of the wall 10 of the pocket.

The length of the closure flap 15 is such that when the container body is expanded to full capacity one or more of the flap sections 17 may be folded upwardly into the retaining pocket. Thus as seen in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, I provide a container of the expanding type which may be easily, quickly and securely closed without the manipulation of tie strings or other extraneous fastening means.

To open the container it is merely necessary to pull upon the tab 18 and the end of the closure flap 15 is thereby easily withdrawn from the retaining pocket so that access may be freely had to the contents of the container.

My invention, as above described, has been found to be very serviceable in practical use. It will, of course, be understood that the container may be produced in numerous different sizes to be used for a variety of purposes and the weight of the paper or other materials employed is determined in accordance tothe particular use to which the container is to be applied. It will, however, be appreciated that the described construction while simple and inexpensive, possesses maximum durability and will successfully resist internal or external strain tending to open the closure flap even when the container is more or less abusively handled.

While I have herein shown and described one simple and practical embodiment of my present improvements it is nevertheless to be understood that the same may be also incorporated in various other structural forms, and I accordingly reserve the privilege of resorting to all such legitimate changes in the form, construction and relative arrangement of the several parts as may be fairly considered of the appended claims.

' I claim:

1. In an expansible container having front and rear walls and expansible means connecting the bottom and opposite end edges of said walls; an external, downwardly opening pocket on said front wall, extending across the outer side thereof, a closure flap extending fromthe upper end of said rear wall and foldable over the open top of the container and upon the wall of said pocket, said flap embodying means extending longitudinally of the pocket and enabling selected portions thereof of variable width to be inserted upwardly .into the pocket, and said means cooperating with the lower edge of the pocket wall to prevent release of the closure flap and retain the same in closely superposed relation to the open top of the container.

2. In an expansible container having front and rear walls and expansible means connecting the bottom and opposite end edges of said walls; an

external, downwardly opening pocket on said front wall, extending across the outer side thereof, a closure flap extending from the upper end of said rear wall and foldable over the open top of the container and upon the wall of said pocket, said flap embodying means extending longitudinally of the pocket and enabling selected portions thereof of variable width to be inserted upwardly into the pocket, and said means cooperating with the lower edge of the pocket wall to prevent release of the closure flap and retain the same in closely superposed relation to the open top of the container, and manipulable means connected to the free end of said flap and operable to withdraw the same from said pocket.

3. In an expansible container having front and rear walls and expansible means connecting the bottom and opposite end edges of said walls; an

external, downwardly opening pocket on said front wall, extending across the outer side thereof, a closure flap extending from the upper end of said rear wall and foldable over the open top of the container and upon the wall of said pocket, said flap embodying means extending longitudinally of the pocket and enabling selected portions thereof of variable width to be inserted upwardly into the pocket, and saidmeans 00- operating with the lower edge of the pocket wall to prevent release of the closure flap and retain the same in closely superposed relation to the open top of the container, and a finger tab centrally attached to the free end of said flap, partially insertable therewith into the pocket to protrude from the open side of the latter whereby said portion of the closureflap may be withdrawn from the pocket.

4. In an expansible container having front and rear walls and expansible means connecting the bottom and opposite end edges of said walls; an external, downwardly opening pocket on said front wall, extending across the outer side thereof, a closure flap extending. from the upper end of said rear wall and foldableover the open top of the containerand upon the wall of said pocket, said flap embodying closely contiguous, parallel sections, extending longitudinally of the pocket and flexibly connected with each other, a

selected number of said sections being insertable upwardly into said pocket to retain the closure flap in closely superposed relation to the open top of the container.

5. In an expansible container having front and rear walls and expansible means connecting the bottom and opposite end edges of said walls; an external, downwardly opening pocket on said front wall, extending across the outer side thereof, a closure flap extending from the upper end of said rear wall and foldable over the open top of the container and upon the wall of said pocket, said flap being scored along parallel lines extending longitudinally of the pocket to provide definite flexibly connected sections thereof, angularly movable relative to each other, whereby a selected number of said sections may be inserted upwardly into said pocket to retain the closure flap in closely superposed relation to the open top of the container.

6. In an expansible container having front and rear walls and expansible means connecting the bottom and opposite end edges of said walls; an external, downwardly opening pocket on said front wall, a closure flap, extending from the upper end of said rear wall and foldable over the open top of the container and upon the wall of said Docket, said flap being scored along parallel .lines extending longitudinally of the pocket to provide definite flexibly connected sections thereof, angularly movable relative to each other, whereby a selected number of said sections may be inserted upwardly into said pocket to retain the closure flap in closed superposed relation to the open top of the container, and releasing means for said flap connected to the end section thereof and protruding from the open side of said pocket.

7. A container body having front and rear walls and connecting walls between corresponding edges of said front and rear walls, said body being open along one edge thereof, an external inwardly opening pocket extending across said front wall, a closure flap extending from the rear wall of said container, said flap in spaced relation to its free end edges having a slot therein, a finger tab extending through said slot having stop shoulders at one end projecting laterally beyond opposite ends of the slot, the end edge portion of the flap being folded upon said end of the tab and secured to the flap, said free end of the flap being insertable into said pocket to retain the same in closed position, and said tab projecting from the open side of the pocket for releasing said flap.

NATHAN OTTINGER. 

